Tracker: How I Became An Alien

Austrian trio Tracker wakes up the Krautrock tendencies in us all, mixes them with classic-era Morphine, and emerges with a pretty good, if occasionally tentative, release. Part of the problem with How I Became An Alien is the album’s mix. The backing tracks sound cool and distant, removed from the vocals to the point that songs such as “Recommended Fool” sound like a karaoke session more than a band ripping up the grooves with its own brand of awesomeness. When Tracker hits, however, it hits hard, as evidenced on “Blower” and the dirge-y “The Hypnotized”. Others songs, like the improbably titled “Impregnated Eye” and “Window Shopping”, demonstrate little more than an appreciation for Tool. It’d be interesting to hear this remixed and stripped down to only its most essential tracks as Tracker has a unique and sometimes original vision lurking in the murk.